Aurora Astralis
by regie27
Summary: After a failed assassination attempt during her incarceration in Republic City, Kuvira is exiled to a remote island off the coast of the South Pole. During the first days into her exile, the deposed leader explores the harsh yet fascinating lands she'll call home for the foreseeable future. A The Path series introspective stand alone story.


A freezing gust of wind buffeted the speeding snowmobile making it tremble along with its rider. Kuvira uttered a curse under her breath, her attention zeroed in maintaining steady control of the vehicle as it sped towards the nearby lighthouse. Not even her mastery in bending displayed at its peak as the operator of a stories high mechanical behemoth had prepared her to navigate through expanses of snow and ice. The former Earth Empire leader wasn't a neophyte on matters of extreme weather. She had weathered its exact opposite years ago when her unifying campaigns led her to cross another treacherous territory.

Her travels across the vast lands that comprised the Earth Kingdom had taken Kuvira to the arid dunes of the Si Wong desert. There, she had endured the burning sun, the sand storms and the heat injuries that could easily decimate an unprepared army. The former commander learned about the threats of poisonous insects and wandering sand sharks that could snatch a sand sailer in their maws and split in half as it were a mere twig. But among the hazards, it was always the human animal the most dangerous and traitorous of all. Blood of her troops ended up spilled over the sands in some of the fiercest battles they faced against nomadic gangs of bandits. Marauders had been a thorn on the side of Queen Hou-Ting's reign and it remained the same for her government despite the regime change. They claimed they stole treasures from the kingdom's coffers to share among the poor and dispossessed but little evidence amounted to this being a fact. Kuvira had no choice but to face the bandits at their home turf and it proved to be more challenging than she had initially anticipated. Their technological advantage was trumped in many instances by the simple fact that sand ended up rendering their equipment inoperable. It clogged the joints of their mechas and wore down its engine parts. The blatant oversight was a blow to Bataar's ego and he was reluctantly forced to work closely with Varrick to make the necessary corrections before they ran the risk of the territory being overrun by the bandits. The two engineering savants finally came up with a clever solution and after many disappointments, a fix was found and her troops finally prevailed.

Kuvira could see some of Varrick's innate engineering aptitude in the installation that had served in a recent past for research for his company and in an ironic turn of life, now served as her living quarters. The difference between the rather humble and very practical edifications of the surveillance station and Varrick's compound was easy to see. At least the now husband to the president of Republic City and former escaped criminal also from Republic City had been generous enough to cede the compound to the island's residents to aid on their ongoing mission of monitoring the airwaves and surveilling the nearby waters to combat pirates and seafaring criminals.

It had been less than a week since she set foot on Blackstone Isle. The first couple of days were mostly instructive as they had been dedicated to introductions to life below zero, to the island's crew and to their mission, which now became hers too. That had been her first initial shock. The exiled leader wasn't going to be treated as a prisoner but as a fellow crewmember. Their job and the extreme conditions in which they performed it required every pair of able hands available and she came with the added bonus of being a metalbender. Not just any metalbender but one of the best. Even out of shape as she was due to her imprisonment, Kuvira knew that her abilities would soon be put to work in all sorts of odd jobs. The other surprise was that she would be assigned among her tools and equipment a snowmobile, and she would be able to roam the compound freely.

As she wiped off snow from her googles, the former captain understood why she had been granted such leeway. It was simply too cold to just wander around. There was little to no risk of her escaping because the island was literally in the middle of nowhere where ships arrived sporadically either to resupply their stocks or to transport laborers and the odd visitor. She could now clearly understand the amused grin in the senior technician's mustachioed face when she had announced she was going for a quick stroll after her work shift ended.

"Sure, go ahead…the constellations are quite the sight this time of the year" he had commented with a knowing look. She recognized that look. It is the one every veteran gives to a rookie when they are way over their heads. Kuvira had usually been the one to administer the look to her more inexperienced troops but now, as she saw her breath conjure white puffs in front of her face and sensed the little skin exposed to the elements hurt as if invisible pins prickled her, it dawned on her what Sammi's smug face meant. Still, she continued her trek towards the lighthouse defiantly. Being outside without four walls surrounding her simply felt amazing after years of confinement. She wouldn't allow weather woes to rob her of this sensation. Korra had also mentioned the Southern Lights while on their airship trek from Republic City to the South Pole. The fact had piqued Kuvira's curiosity in good part due to the Avatar's enthusiasm on the subject. It felt good to have something different to talk about with Korra on her scheduled visit next week, something that related directly to her home and metalbender wished to learn as much about it as she could. Perhaps in experiencing by herself the harsh yet majestic environment that was part of the Avatar's upbringing, Kuvira could relate to and understand her better.

At last, the lighthouse stood in front of her. Sunset had already passed and a waning Moon had risen. Kuvira secured the snowmobile close to the building, brought out a sturdy flashlight from her backpack and began the upwards path towards the top of the lighthouse. Although it no longer served its original purpose, the isle's inhabitants kept the building from decay. Their care prevented it from turning into a ruin. She climbed with a quick yet cautious pace keeping a hand on the handrail and the other holding the flashlight securely. After brief minutes she reached the top. She took a glimpse of the lantern and imagined how it might had been when it was the only light visible from miles away piercing the oppressive darkness over the sea. A door led to the balcony and when she stepped out, the sight outside took her breath away. The stars were indeed shining brightly as Sammi had assured but it wasn't the myriad constellations strewn across the sky that astounded her. It was the bright green and the soft purple streaks extending over the blue black canvas. The Southern Lights. A wide smile spread over her face under her thick hood. The sight she beheld was worth without a doubt withstanding the punishment of the freezing temperatures. She suddenly pictured a very young Korra full of child-like wonder pointing out to the sky, mesmerized by the shimmering colors and unusual shapes in the sky. Then she saw herself, a little girl blissfully ignorant of the cruelty of abandonment that awaited her in the near future. The girl rested over a grassy field as she watched fascinated the shapes of white clouds against a cerulean vault floating in a non-stop parade. It had taken the spectacle of the wondrous lights at the edge of the world to bring back a peaceful memory from more innocent days Kuvira had deemed lost and buried by pain and despair. Another image of a field surrounded by soft pink and violet flowers came to mind. Even in her pain and misery its beauty had not been lost to her.

Kuvira found herself inside the Spirit World after the monumental clash that pitted a destructive force against a protective one obliterated the boundaries between the physical and spiritual realms. Inside, at her nadir, wrecked by despair and guilt and despite all logical expectations, she encountered empathy and consolation in her opponent Korra. This simple act demolished her inner barriers exposing the wounded woman hidden inside the steeled façade. It triggered the end of the madness and heralded the beginning of the road towards repentance and redemption she would follow on the years to come. Here at this lighthouse beholding the Aurora Astralis, a sense of inner peace and awe overcame her. Childlike wonder had returned to her.

Later that night, the nightmares that would assault her implacably gave her a respite. In its stead, Kuvira dreamed of fields of pink and purple flowers. Of night skies filled by bright green colors and flickering stars shining like gems. And she dreamed of blue eyes shimmering like sapphires that embodied all the compassion in the world.

The End


End file.
